4 Years Ago

Yesterday, March 31, marked the 4 year mark of Jason fighting for his life. To take you back to March 31, 2004, Jason, Juliana, and I went out to Joes American Grill in Franklin, MA and he started telling me how awful he felt at work that day. He had an interview that morning, so he thought it was just nerves. After eating his dinner that night, he could hardly move. About 8pm, he drove himself to the emergency room, since little Juliana was already in bed. I waited and waited and waited to get a phone call to hear he was on his way home. I got a phone call about 3am to hear he was admitted with pancreatitis. Honestly, that just sounded like a bad infection or something, so I figured they would keep him until morning and be released with antibiotics.

I dropped Juliana off at day care, went into my classroom and proceeded to teach as if it was a normal day. Of course he was on my mind, but not like he should of been. After work, I went to see him, and I remember he was wanting to see Juliana and sang Cookie Monster songs just to make me smile. I think he knew the situation was worse than I really knew.

FAST FORWARD...
On day 3, I got a phone call from Jason's dad, Jim, that he had been immediately transfered to the Intensive Care Unit and he would come pick me up. Obviously Juliana was taken care of, but I have no idea where she was at the time. I went to visit, and he was out of it. Two days later, I was told he was too critical to be at the local hospital, and they were going to transfer him to a Boston ICU. They wanted to life flight him in a helicopter, although he began to stabilize, so they put him in an ambulance, and thank God, I was able to ride with him.

We arrived in Boston, where I heard what was really going on and realized the severity of his situation. I heard "acidosis" and wrote it down, I heard "renal failure" and wrote it down, I heard "necrotic pancreas" and stopped with my pen. First of all, I didn't know how to spell it, and second of all, I had enough. I just blanked wondering what Juliana would do without her Daddy. As I watched him hour by hour, and listening to the beeps of his machines and the machines from other patients, I would get very nervous. Each time he would wake up for a few seconds, I thought he wanted to talk, but he just wanted to push the morphine button one more time.

He slowly started interacting, and after 7 days in the ICU, he was transfered to a regular hospital room. He progressed more and more each day by walking, and remaining stable. After about 5 days in that room, he was released. We now know he was released waaaaaay to early. He was out of work for about 6 more weeks, and somehow is back to jolly ol' Jason. He had his first interview for the job in Michigan 3 weeks after returning to work, and we were planning the move within a month. WOW!

I suppose what is important is that Jason is as strong as ever today. He is the world's best Daddy, and of course, the love of my life. Just a bump on our road of life.... ok, maybe it was a mountain, but he is over that mountain and is stronger for it. Four years later I still remember Shannon and John visiting in the ICU, Jay and Ann-Marie getting babysitters for the baby twins so they could visit, Kathy and Jim watching Juliana, work getting subs for me, my dad and brother flying within hours of hearing of Jason being in the ICU, mom visiting, Aunt Deb coming in from NJ, and the countless cards, flowers, and much more. Thank you! Love is never forgotten!